Many devices utilize elements that are fragile and are susceptible to damage or breakage. And, care must be taken to prevent damage to such a device. Damage or breakage is possible, for instance, when the device is being carried or otherwise transported.
An exemplary device that includes fragile elements that are susceptible to breakage is a modern, aviator flight helmet.
The aviator flight helmet, like the aircraft he flies, has come a long way since the first powered flight over 100 years ago. Advances in helmet use and function have been driven by changing safety requirements, aircraft capability, technology and, at its base level, necessity.
In the early 1900s through the end of the WWII, the aviator's helmet was made of soft leather and intended mainly to protect from wind and cold. As advances in wireless radio communication developed, the leather helmet began to feature earphones for radio receivers. Later, as turbo-charging technology permitted higher aircraft operating altitudes, the oxygen mask attachment became standard as well. Early eye protection in the form of rubber-framed glass goggles were adopted from the fledgling days of manned flight as the most reasonable way to protect the eyes-especially in open-cockpit machines. As operating speeds became substantially increased with the advent of jet aircraft, rigid visors were developed as part of the helmet to protect aircrew from the deadly wind-blast effects of emergency ejection.
Over the years, the flight helmet has served first and foremost to protect the pilot's head in various situations: from bumps and scrapes on the flight line or in the cockpit, to the dangerous environment of an aircraft carrier deck, and more critical still in the case of high speed ejection. Like any piece of equipment however, man has found a way to make this device even more useful, combining functionality and advantage with the basic requirement of safety. But if we simply look at the last 25 years of the flight helmet's life, it seems to have stagnated technologically and thus, strayed little from its primary goal of protecting the pilot's head. Over this period most modern helmets have offered the following similar capabilities: protective outer shell, comfortable interior, attached visor, radio communication, source of oxygen, and add-ons like an attachment for a separate Night Vision Device (NVD). Although convenient and useful, few, if any, of these capabilities are absolutely critical to fly and employ the aircraft.
This has changed for the 4th and 5th generation of aircraft and resulted in a growth in the importance of the flight helmet as a source of combat advantage outside its basic protection role. In the latter stages of 4th generation aircraft maturity, on platforms such as the F-15, F-16, F-18 and various foreign competitors, the development of a helmet mounted cueing system has changed the direction of flight helmet requirements and has begun a shift in the definition of its primary function. In a sense, tactical employment of the helmet's cuing system and the advantage gained by its use, have changed the focus of both construction and the role the helmet plays. Add to this the ability to see the video of an aircraft sensor (like IR Imagery) displayed on the visor, and the utility of the helmet increases dramatically. Both of these capabilities are available now on helmets such as the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS).
The helmet used on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will have all of these capabilities and more. In fact, the F-35 will no longer use the Heads-Up Display (HUD) that has become the standard in modern tactical jets. The critical information previously displayed on the HUD will now be contained in the helmet. The pilot will be able to access the information required to fly the aircraft almost regardless of where he is looking. This critical flight information will only be available in the helmet he wears, making it indispensible flight equipment. In addition, he will be able to use NVDs and various infrared cameras and display options, DAS (Distributed Aperture System), etc. without taking any additional gear to the aircraft, like is the norm at present. All of these options are contained within the flight helmet he carries to the jet. The trade off is that this new helmet has become a very sensitive and fragile piece of gear—more so than any other piece of gear he uses. Where the helmet once served merely to protect the pilot's head, the pilot will now, in some capacity, serve to protect his helmet. Gone are the days of careless handling and use of a fighter aircraft helmet. The pilot who now relies on this helmet to successfully fly and employ his aircraft will be acutely aware and concerned about the safety of this helmet while in transit to and from the aircraft as well as any other time he is not using it for flight.
It serves to reason that, like all technology, these improvements come at a price. What the pilot might have considered expensive for the previous helmet he wore will pale in comparison to the price tag on this new helmet—to an order of great magnitude. So another factor contributing to the critical nature of helmet protection is its extremely high price relative to past years and former helmet solutions—a fact that will be realized by both the end user and the numerous individuals and services responsible for acquisition and maintenance of these helmets. What is required is something to aid the pilot and technician in a mounting challenge to protect this helmet.
More generally, many other devices include elements that are fragile and are susceptible to damage or breakage. Analogous to the need to provide a better protective support for an aviator's flight helmet, there is also a need to provide improved protective support for other devices.
It is in light of this background information related to protective support devices that the significant improvements of the present invention have evolved.